London Spy

:

Season 1
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 53
  3. Negative: 7 out of 53
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User Reviews

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  1. shellview
    Jan 26, 2016
    8
    Very good thriller from the UK. Although the protagonist and others are gay, "London Spy" is not about being gay. It is about people who just happen to be gay That deserves an 8 by itself. No pandering nor agenda driven at all, bravo. I found the characters interesting and well drawn. The story,so far, is exciting and very well written as is the dialogue. Too bad it is only aVery good thriller from the UK. Although the protagonist and others are gay, "London Spy" is not about being gay. It is about people who just happen to be gay That deserves an 8 by itself. No pandering nor agenda driven at all, bravo. I found the characters interesting and well drawn. The story,so far, is exciting and very well written as is the dialogue. Too bad it is only a mini-series but the Brit's, unlike the US, know how to end a story and not drag it out ad infinitum.… Expand
  2. nima1990
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    The show deserves a 10 because we've seen tons of stories like this on TV or cinema but all of them had a super straight macho guy. London Spy featured a gay protagonist and that;s where it shines without actually being a show about sexuality but a pure love between Danny and Alex. In this show unlike many other their gayness wasn't magnified and it was as trivial and normal as a straightThe show deserves a 10 because we've seen tons of stories like this on TV or cinema but all of them had a super straight macho guy. London Spy featured a gay protagonist and that;s where it shines without actually being a show about sexuality but a pure love between Danny and Alex. In this show unlike many other their gayness wasn't magnified and it was as trivial and normal as a straight romance and it's completely normal and nobody cares. We need more interesting action, thriller and mystery movies that feature gay protagonists like any other human being. Plus the writing was absolutely genius. I definitely want more. A season 2 is bound to happen. The cast is also amazing.… Expand
  3. PoeticDumpling
    Jan 24, 2016
    10
    Fantastic first episode. It felt like a mix of Hitchcock meets Tom Ford's cinematographic eye in The Single Man and a dash of Andrew Haigh ("Weekend"). I love how it started in a more romantic vein and then did a 180 by the end. Ben Whishaw is superb! Jim Broadbent is always excellent. It was a very different and sometimes strange concept. Excited to see where the next four episodes go,
  4. koothrappali
    Jan 21, 2016
    10
    Melhor série do mundo!!!!!!!11! História super envolvente e original. Atuações ótimas e ainda tem o Ben pra ficar melhor. Suspense espião gay, o que poderíamos querer mais?
  5. tromperie
    Jan 21, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sadly, what at first appears as an intriguing story loses its way. By the final episodes the authors literally lost the plot and I lost the will to live. I wish I had locked myself in a box in an attic instead of watching this. A triumph of British style over substance.… Expand
  6. katezoe
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    The cast is exceptional, Jim Broadbent is exceptional. The story at times is quite titillating. A true spy thriller without th zillion dollars in special effects. The best surprise of this year and I highly recommend it.
  7. IanSia
    Mar 8, 2016
    9
    It is fascinating how this show plays with your feelings. It is indeed a 'relationship drama refracted through the prism of spy scenes'.
    I don't know how to recover from it though.
  8. Impressionismo
    Mar 12, 2016
    9
    Atmosfere molto intime e cupe, trama che si sviluppa mantenendo lo spettatore in tensione e curioso del finale. Musiche top e attori in grado di interpretare i personaggi in maniera egregia.
  9. olimpia
    Feb 15, 2017
    7
    The first two or three episodes are terrific, full of suspense, you do not know what s going on. The last ones seem to belong to other series. The events turn unamplausible and so does the end.

Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Best TV Season of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Jan 22, 2016
    100
    Muscular writing and powerful performances.... You can get sucked in by the spycraft, but this is also a parable about queerness, and a fascinating character piece for Whishaw.
    Read full review
  2. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Spencer Kornhaber
    Jan 21, 2016
    70
    Five episodes might sound like a perfect, lithe treatment for such a tale, but the truth is it really only needed two or three. London Spy should have been a movie. To be fair, the storytelling does pay off frequently enough that I don’t regret having sat through the whole thing. Those strong character relationships feel all the more real because of the amount of time spent with them. And the drip-drop pacing allows for some exquisitely terrifying climaxes.
    Read full review
  3. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Jan 21, 2016
    80
    Creator Tom Rob Smith's story may eventually seem far-fetched (or so I choose to hope), but Whishaw's performance as an emotional drifter who finds a focus only when it might be too late is too good to miss.
    Read full review
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